


Eternity

by AceFangirlLani



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Bittersweet, Cinder can cry in this, Cinder can't blush though, Cinder gets some closure, Cinder is still grieving, Cyborgs, I MISS HER SO MUCH, I wish Peony was still alive, Iko has feelings, Iko is a fangirl, Iko is more human than actual humans, Iko is still sad, Levanna is dead thank goodness, Oh stars I wanted to cry writing this, Peony is the sweetest girl ever, She was my daughter, Short but sad, Why do my children always have to die, after the war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22650772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceFangirlLani/pseuds/AceFangirlLani
Summary: There are times where emotions have to be stowed away, to make room for focus, and planning to save the world from a tyrant queen. Cinder had been thrust into a life of rebellion, death, and fighting. But now that the war was over, and Levanna's rule was no more, she found herself drowning in her grief. With everything she had carefully locked away crashing back again.And she can't let go of the guilt that weights her down.(Or, Cinder and Iko get some closure)
Relationships: Iko & Linh Cinder, Iko & Linh Cinder & Linh Peony, Linh Cinder & Linh Peony
Kudos: 6





	Eternity

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I was not planning to write anything from the Lunar Chronicles at all, but...you know...I don't plan on doing almost anything in my life. (Like English homework.)
> 
> But yeah, please enjoy my sad fic! I really wanted to cry while writing it.
> 
> -Lani

“It’s going to be alright, right Cinder?”

The cyborg didn’t turn at her friend’s voice, keeping her gaze trained on the stone slab, tracing her fingers over the engravings etched into it. It had been at least a year, yet Cinder thought it felt more like a lifetime with all the events that had happened. The ball, escaping a temporary prison, maneuvering around all the lunar authorities to avoid dying at the hands of her tyrant aunt, leading a revolution, discovering the truth about who she was, not to mention being on the verge of death by the end of it all. And yet, even with all the time and distractions, she still clung onto the burning feeling that flickered inside of her.

It rose from the bottom of her heart, where it had been buried deep within and locked away to hopefully never surface again. But it had never disappeared, only banished into the shadows instead. Her subconsciousness automatically grasped onto it, like if it managed to fully dissolved, all the memories that were tied to would be lost, gone forever and wiped from complete existence.

And she shouldn’t be so caught up on it. She shouldn’t have the same nightmares every night. The same train of thought that kept screaming at her. _What if? What would’ve happened if she had made it? What would have happened if she had arrived just an hour before?_ She couldn’t get the feelings to go away. In fear that if she did, her sanity would slowly drift away and the rest of her would follow soon after.

She couldn’t let go. She couldn’t quite accept it yet, even if the evidence was right in front of her.

Cinder sighed, touching the petals of the peony gingerly where it sat in the small holder by the nameplate. “I...I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

It was the truth. The words she had been so scared to say before because of the weight of the world had been resting on her shoulders. They hit her harder than the knife that had been stabbed straight through her heart, digging into her with such pain all she could do was gasp. Because of the war, she had been forced to keep her emotions bottled up, but now they were coming back, hitting her all at once in a wave that left her choking for air.

There was a shuffle of footsteps as Iko took a stand next to her. Their shoulders touched in a sense of comfort that Cinder couldn’t stop herself from leaning into her best friend’s presence, grabbing desperately for any reassurance. Iko was the only one who was close enough to understand her pain. Even though she hadn’t been there when it happened, Iko had more empathy than anyone gave her credit for. Sometimes more than any other humans, which was ironic.

Iko rubbed her back softly as tears silently spilled down her cheeks. “It’s okay not to know yet. Hell, I don’t even know what I’m going to do now that I have all this free time on my hands,” Cinder’s lips pulled into a small smile as the android giggled quietly, “I mean think about it; I’m no longer a slave under Adri, I don’t have to protect you from anymore psychotic queens who want to kill you, I can’t even write fantasies about me being with Kai because you stole his heart for yourself.”

“Hey, I didn’t ‘steal his heart’.”

“Right, that’s because you stole all of him instead.”

Cinder gave her a glare. “Hey! I was protecting him.”

“Kidnapping someone is the complete opposite of protecting them you know, for like, every rule in every book.” Iko scolded, holding her finger in the air like she was proving a point.

They entered a short silence after that, basking in the other’s embrace as they watched a breeze rustle the flower’s pink petals with a gentle breath. It was comforting, how they finally had a chance to just enjoy each other’s company without any danger of harm hovering over their heads.

To her, Iko was more than just her best friend. One of her first friends, and closer to her than Thorne, Winter, any of the rest of the Rampion crew, or even Kai. To her, Iko was her sister. Sure they may not be related by blood - or lack of blood in Iko’s case - but they shared a connection that went beyond one of a normal family. They’ve been through hell and back together, around the world, and even to the moon. 

If there was anyone she could count as her family, the kind that people were expected to have by the cliches of fantasy novels, it was Iko.

Because even though Cinder had felt alone throughout most of her life, Iko had always been by her side. Sure she had constantly jumped from place to place, from Luna, to France, to the Commonwealth, back to France, to space, to Luna again, Iko had remained a constant. A familiarity she could depend on no matter what.

She pressed her face in the dreadlocks that hung just past Iko’s shoulders and were wrapped in a blue knot, inhaling the scent of flowers from a perfume that was no doubt brand new. Cinder wanted the coiling feeling inside her gut to go away, to give her the peace she wanted her whole life, unburdened and carefree.

She wanted the guilt inside of her to stop.

“Do you…” another inhale as she tried to match the rhythm of Iko’s breathing, even though the android didn’t technically need air to keep functioning, “do you think she is alright?” she asked hesitantly, melting into the hug as Iko wrapped her arms around her.

Cinder wanted to know. She wanted to know so badly that she was somewhere, safe and happy. That she wanted to know that she was still smiling, even after she had taken her last breath. She needed to know…

The hum from Iko made her thoughts stop. Even for just a second.

“I do.” Iko replied. “She definitely is. She’s somewhere above us, still dreaming about dancing with your boyfriend and playing dress-up with whatever extremely expensive and beautiful gowns angels have.”

Her arms wrapped around her sister tighter, like if she let go, Iko would disappear too and leave her alone, with no other family to depend upon. 

“Do...what…” she squeezed her eyes tight, still unused to the way her new tear ducts leaked and caused water to rain over her skin in a salty trail. Cinder tried to make the words leave her throat, but they’ve been stuck there for so long that she had no idea how to release them. But Iko knew exactly what she was thinking. And if lunars could have some sort of glamour power, then the android no doubt had some sort of secret, hidden telepathy.

“Yes. She’s happy,” cold fingers brushed the tears away from her face, but all Cinder could feel was the warmth radiating off of them, “and she is also proud of you Cinder. Think about it! All she wanted was for you to find your own family. To find friends that you can depend on and for you to go to the ball with Kai. She got her happiness because you were happy. And as long as you continue to be, she’ll remain the same.”

A soft hiccup shook her shoulders and Cinder sniffed. “Really?”

Iko nodded sharply. “In fact, she would be bursting right now if she knew you are Kai’s girlfriend. Emperor. Freaking. Kaito.”

“I think she would do more than just burst.”

“You’re right, she would absolutely _explode_.”

Cinder smiled in agreement, turning back to look at the gravestone. One of many that lined the large stone wall. Each bearing a single name of a life lost. A victim of the silent war that had started decades earlier, way before Cinder had even been born.

“But, what if I forget one day? What if eventually, I begin to lose the memories I have of her? What if--”

“Cinder,” Iko hissed, “I am a fucking _android_ and you are a fucking _cyborg_. We have everything saved on a _chip_ in our _brains_. I doubt you will ever forget about her unless Thorne decides to do something stupid again.”

“You don’t have a brain.”

“Not the _point_.”

There was another pause as Cinder thought over Iko’s words. She was right, after all, their memories couldn’t just disappear with the flick of a wand, and she knew that. Deep inside, she knew the truth, but she was just so bad at accepting things that doubt always clouded her judgement. 

“So, now what?” she asked, a little hesitant, uncertain of what kind of answer was laid in her path.

Iko tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Now we just do what we can to carry her spirit on. She’s forever with us, right. Alive or not, her spirit will always be by our sides. Even when you’re up there on Luna, ruling your people with me by your side. Or when you and Kai finally get married and have the prettiest wedding ever with me as your planner.”

Cinder chose to ignore the heat that began to rise in her cheeks. Warning signs flashed over her retina, alerting her of her rise in blood pressure as she shook her head to try and cool herself down.

“Right. Forever and always.”

“For eternity.” Iko corrected, placing her hand against the nameplate one last time before leading Cinder out of the cemetery. Leaving behind the names that were lost. The aftermath of the disease that had gotten too out of control.

She was right. No matter what, she would always be in their hearts, nestled in their souls as a reminder to always be true to themselves. Iko may not be truly human, but she understood words and emotions so much more than most. And those words had loosened the tight knot that had coiled itself in Cinder’s chest, squeezing her heart and lungs until it felt nearly impossible to breath.

One step at a time, she could let go. 

Slowly, but eventually she would feel light again, and carry on the happiness her sister had given her in the short time that she had been alive.

_We will always love you, Peony._

_Forever._

_For eternity._

**Author's Note:**

> Who misses Peony? I do. She was one of my favorite characters and I had just adopted her into my family BEFORE THE FREAKING DISEASE HIT.
> 
> Please rest in peace Peony.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> -Lani


End file.
